Fantasy Football Strategy

Strategy: Forgotten Players

October 18, 2007 @ 17:00:11

By Kenneth Humphrey
Edited by Cory J. Bonini

Over the last couple of weeks our strategy reports have focused on the sheer number of injuries occurring to starters and how you, as a fantasy owner, can offset those unexpected losses.

This week we're going to throw another quirk your way, with a list of guys that have likely fallen off the radar of most other owners. Take note, we are NOT recommending for you to run out and pick these guys off the wire but rather keep your eye on them. Each has a changing status, but the one common thread among them all is the chance to have some surprise touches in the near future. When you're winning or losing games by a handful of points, even a 40-yard day from a running back can make the difference.

We'll rank these guys in descending order of their expected touch ratio.

Certainly Certain

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Running Back Michael Bennett - Head coach Jon Gruden needed to find someone to carry the rock, what with the M.A.S.H. unit of running backs he has in the stable. Completing a last minute trade with Kansas City brings the speedster Bennett to Florida. The former first-round pick has failed to live up to his draft billing in stints with Minnesota and Kansas City, but there is no doubt he will be given every opportunity to resurrect his career now. Look to acquire him if you have the room.

New York Jets Running Back Leon Washington - Lost in the shuffle of free-agent acquisition running back Thomas Jones is second-year man Leon Washington. Coming off a rookie campaign that saw him post up 650 yards and four scores, he is seemingly relegated to special teams return duties in 2007. He is averaging just four rushing attempts per game so far, with one touchdown to show for it. With Jones averaging a meager 70 yards per game and no scores yet, the running back situation in New York may provide owners with a surprise opportunity to pick up a No. 2 back that just happens to be getting significant time. Keep an eye on his progress as the season progresses.

Probable But Not Guaranteed

Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Priest Holmes - Upon completion of Week 6, players placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list are now eligible to rejoin their teams. That includes the one-time fantasy darling in Holmes. Any owner playing the game earlier this decade fondly remembers the three-year stretch when Holmes ruled to the tune of 4,590 yards and 56 touchdowns over that span. Obviously, at 34 years of age and two years removed from any meaningful playing time, he is not going to explode like that again. With Michael Bennett getting shipped to Tampa Bay, Holmes may be the handcuff partner to incumbent running back Larry Johnson. As of this writing, no timetable has been announced for his return. Therefore, don't bother picking him up in standard league formats, but he may have some slight value in deep leagues.

Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Chris Henry - Week 8. Mark it down. That is the week when Henry's suspension from the league ends. What that means to Henry or the Bengals is anybody's guess. One thing for certain: With the Bengals' defense any additional points are appreciated. Henry scored nine touchdowns over 13 games in 2006. Those could really come in handy this season. Fantasy owners should stash him away and hope for the best.

Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Chris Perry - Perry (leg) has been an injury-prone mess for the Bengals for the majority of his short career. The former Michigan Wolverine is on the verge of returning to the field and could provide points to owners in leagues that award for receptions, but you don't want to hedge any bets on him just yet. Given Perry's injury history, take any progress with a grain of salt for now.

Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Koren Robinson - Robinson has been reinstated by the league after a one-year suspension for alcohol abuse. The Packers still own his rights, and he joins a team that is pass-first, giving him perceived value. It may worth noting that much of Robinson's value is still based off one good year in 2002, when he played all 16 games, collected 1,240 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs. It's now five years later and he has only played four games in the last two years. The phrase "You get what you pay for" may strongly apply here. No better than the No. 4 receiver for now, K-Rob can be overlooked in all formats.

One Chance is Better than None, Apparently

Free-agent Running Back Corey Dillon - It's not that teams aren't interested - it's just not the right ones. In 2007, he's alternatively said he's retiring, then flip-flopping and becoming interested in playing again. For those keeping track at home, here's a timeline of the Dillon saga:

April 19, 2007: The NFL Network reports Dillon will retire.
May 12, 2007: The Boston Globe reports Dillon has yet to file retirement papers with the league.
July 15, 2007: The Miami Herald reports Dillon is interested in playing for the Dolphins.
Aug. 5, 2007: The Boston Globe prints a quote from Dillon wherein he states "...I will not play football again."
Sept. 12, 2007: The Chicago Sun-Times quotes agent Steve Feldman saying Dillon is interested in the Bears. The team does not read that paper and thus fails to find a complement to running back Cedric Benson.
Oct. 2, 2007: ESPN.com displays Dillon's one-word answer to a text message asking whether he'd be interested in playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That word is, "No."

Will he or won't he? Stay tuned...

Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush - Like Holmes, Bush is coming off the Physically Unable to Perform list and is available to play. Unlike Holmes, Bush enters a crowded backfield, consisting of LaMont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes and Justin Vargas. Even if he is 100 percent healthy, he has quite a few bodies in front of him.

The Forgotten

Miami Dolphins Running Back Ricky Williams - Oct. 1, Williams officially applied to be reinstated in the league. The overall benefit may be minimal. As linebacker Jason Taylor has indicated: This team has enough problems already.

Free agent Running Back Onterrio Smith - It seems like years since Smith introduced "The Original Whizzinator" into everyday sports lexicon. In fact it was years, two to be exact. That device, combined with a host of other off-field issues, earned Smith a suspension that began in May 2005. April 3, 2007, he applied for reinstatement to the league. However, as of this writing, there has been no official release by the NFL regarding his status.

Bringing It Full Circle

Again, as stated in the opening of this article, we are not advocating that you grab any of these players for your team. The thrust of this report is to make you aware of players that have likely slipped below the radar in many leagues, so that you are not caught unaware should one of them begin making waves.